The use of eye dropper bottles, for example soft-sided squeeze bottles, having a nozzle with a discharge opening for applying drops of medication or cleansing fluids directly into the eye is conventional and well-known. It is also well known that considerable difficulty is often encountered in trying to hold the hand steady enough to ensure that the liquid from the eye dropper bottle drops into the correct place in the eye and, with squeeze bottles, the bottle often moves sufficiently when squeezed to cause the liquid to miss the eye and fall onto the face, which is both irritating and wasteful. A further problem which is often encountered with the use of eye dropper bottles is that when the user is looking directly upward at the end of the dropper, the distance of the lower end of the dropper from the eye cannot be accurately determined, and this gives rise to the danger of the eyeball being contacted by the dropper, thereby increasing the risk of damage and infection to the eye. The above problems are especially acute with users who are elderly, nervous, suffer from hand tremors, or who generally lack adequate coordination.
As a result of the above difficulties, considerable efforts have beenmade in the past to develop devices which facilitate the administration of eye drops. Numerous patents have issued relating to various forms of such devices, and some of these are discussed below.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,482,431 discloses a combination eye dropper and eye cup. The cup portion fits comfortably over the eye socket of the user and maintains a reservoir of eye wash solution in contact with the eyeball during the washing operation. The device includes an eye dropper, and when it is desired to administer drops into the eye, the eye dropper is removed from the cup and used separately.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,676,592 relates to an eye dropper having a portion which rests upon the bridge of the user's nose. A portion extends over the eye to be treated carrying a means for supporting an eye dropper above the eye.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,898,911 relates to a device for dispensing drops of medicament into the corner of the eye rather than onto the center of the eyeball. The device comprises a cup which is eccentrically disposed relative to the nozzle of the eye dropper.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,016,898 relates to a eye fluid applicator having an auxiliary chamber mounted on top of an eye cup. A valve arrangementg may be provided in the auxiliary chamber in order to ensure administration of precise quantities of fluid to the eye.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,058,466 discloses various bridge devices for self-administration of medication to the eye. These devices are designed to bridge the forehead and the cheek of the user, and an opening may be provided in the bridge to permit the user's finger to engage the eyelid and extend it to provide a trap for the medication.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,872,865 relates to an eye drop dispenser which is provided with a "bumper" around the nozzle in order to protect the eye from contact with the nozzle. The bumper is a separate component which fits around the body of the container, generally by a press fit.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,934,590 discloses a droplet dispensing device having a tripod configuration, in which one of the legs of the tripod is notched for mounting on the bridge of the nose of the user. The other two legs rest on the user's cheekbone and brow respectively, and the eye dropper dispenser is housed in a container from which the three legs of the tripod extend.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,085,750 describes various eye drop bottle attachments for facilitating the administration ofeyedrops into the eye of a user. The attachments are characterized by a pair of flexible arms having pads on their ends. In use, the arms are squeezed together and pressed gently against the closed eyelids so that when released, the eyelids are forced apart as the arms flex back to their unflexed position. In this way, the eye is held open while the drops are administered.